* Republican National Committee spokesman Sean Spicer sent out a memo dismissing talk of a brokered GOP convention and arguing that a long primary is good for the party. “In a few more months, the primary will seem like a distant memory,” Spicer writes, pointing to Gallup polling showing Republicans more enthusiastic than Democrats. “Ultimately, one of the four current candidates will be the Republican nominee. Our party will then unite 100 percent around him.”

* Ted Nugent has endorsed former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney. “After a long heart&soul conversation with MittRomney today I concluded this goodman will properly represent we the people & I endorsed him,” Nugent said on Twitter. Romney also has the Kid Rock endorsement.

* Former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum’s campaign has asked the RNC to investigate the Michigan Republican Party’s delegate allocation rule change. The party had said two at-large delegates would be doled out proportionally, then voted to award both to Romney.

* The campaign of Maryland congressional candidate Rob Garagiolamistakenly accused 6th district primary rival John Delaney of donating to former Governor Bob Ehrlich (R) last month. It was a different John Delaney, the Delaney campaign now says. But Delaney did contribute to the campaign of Rep. Andy Harris (R-Md.). He says it was personal, not ideological.

* Richard Cebull, Montana's chief federal district judge, has apologized to the president for forwarding a racist e-mail that suggested Obama’s mother had sex with animals. “I sincerely and profusely apologize to you and your family for the e-mail I forwarded,” he said. “Honestly, I don't know what else I can do.”An appellate court is conducting a judicial misconduct review.

WHAT YOU SHOULDN’T MISS:

* Former Utah governor Jon Huntsman has been disinvited from a swanky RNC donor gathering in Palm Beach this weekend after openly pining for a third-party candidate to get in the presidential race.

* It now appears likely that a recall election of Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) will take place in early June. Primaries will likely take place in May. State officials said in a memo Thursday that they might request more time to review petition signatures, pushing the race back slightly.

* New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) canceled plans to appear at a rally in Cleveland with Romney tonight due to bad weather. It would have been Christie’s sixth out-of-state trip for the presidential candidate.

* A judge will rule Monday on whether Rep. Jason Altmire (D-Pa.) can legally appear on the ballot in the state’s 12th district. At issue is whether a staffer who collected hundreds of signatures actually lives in the district, as is required. Altmire faces a contentious primary with Rep. Mark Critz.

* Romney cut a radio ad for Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), who could struggle to win his party’s nomination thanks to aggressive tea party opposition. “On March 15, please attend your caucuses and keep Orrin Hatch fighting for Utah,” says Romney, who earned a lot of goodwill in the state when he ran the 2002 Olympics.

* Retiring Rep. Dan Burton (R-Ind.) has endorsed Marion Mayor Wayne Sebold in the GOP primary for his 5th district seat. Former prosecutor Susan Brooks, former Marion County coroner John McGoff and former Rep. David McIntosh are also in the primary. Burton narrowly won his last two primaries.

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